Francis Lewis
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Francis Lewis (March 21, 1713 – December 30, 1803), was a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of New York.
Born in Llandaff, Cardiff, Wales, he was the only child of Reverend Francis Lewis, but was orphaned at an early age. He went to live with his aunt and uncle soon after. He was educated in Scotland and attended Westminster in England. He entered a mercantile house in London, then moved to Whitestone, New York in 1734. He was taken prisoner and shipped in a box to France while serving as a British mercantile agent in 1756. On his return to America, he became active in politics.
He was a member of the Committee of Sixty, a member of the New York Provincial Congress, and was elected a delegate to the Continental Congress in 1775. In 1778, he signed the United States Articles of Confederation.
His property on Long Island, New York was destroyed in the Revolutionary War.
His son Morgan Lewis served in the army during the Revolutionary War and later held many offices in New York State, including Governor.
[edit] Legacy
Francis Lewis's great-grandson, Manning Livingston, died at the Battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War. He also has many relatives stretching all the way to Idaho. His great-great-great grandson was hollywood director William A. Wellman.
In Queens, New York, a high school is named for Lewis. There is also Francis Lewis Boulevard, which locals tend to refer to as "Franny Lew," stretching almost the entire north/south length of the borough, as well as Francis Lewis Park, which is located underneath the Queens approach of the Bronx Whitestone Bridge.
[edit] External links
- Francis Lewis at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Francis Lewis at Find A Grave
- Google Maps - Francis Lewis Boulevard
- Google Maps - Francis Lewis Park
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